Humankindness at Work: Amy Buot, RN – Healing Hands, Praying Heart

Before entering every new patient’s room, Amy Buot takes a moment to pray. “I ask God to help me, to work with me, to prevent errors, and to send each of my patients an angel to be with them–to heal them, to touch them, to inspire them,” Amy said. It’s a practice she has incorporated into her routine throughout her 30-year nursing career, the past eight years of which she has served at St. Luke’s Health - Brazosport Hospital in the Telemetry unit.

Telemetry patients are often critically ill, with care teams monitoring their vital signs and assessing changes in their condition. It is often a fast-paced environment, where nurses like Amy monitor and analyze heart rhythms, interpret EKGs, note arrhythmias, and intervene in emergency situations. Emotions in these hospital rooms can sometimes run high for patients and family members, due to stress and concern over health conditions. When that happens, Amy continually leans on her faith for strength and serenity. “I pray, ‘Lord, let them see your light through me, let them see your goodness, your kindness, through me,’” Amy said. “And God always prepares the way.”

Despite the intensity of the work, Amy has never once second-guessed her career. Born and raised in the Philippines, she initially chose nursing at the direction of her parents but soon discovered the career was more than a choice–it was a calling. Amy, who was a nursing supervisor for many years prior to immigrating to the US with her then-teenage daughter, has had opportunities to take on leadership positions in recent years, but she is content with her role. “For me, I love being a bedside nurse,” she said. “I feel at one with the CommonSpirit mission–to make the healing presence of God known to everyone.”

With or without a leadership title, Amy is a leader. She leads with quiet faith, a calm and reassuring presence, and nursing skills honed over the course of three decades.

And while she loves her job, often picking up extra shifts simply because she wants to, she also enjoys quiet time and rest at home, where she explores songwriting and singing. “I sing on the way to work, too,” Amy said with a smile, explaining she walks the five minutes to and from work each day, humming and creating song lyrics most of the way.

In every interaction, and with every note she hums, Amy reminds us that grace and healing flow from a heart filled with compassion, faith, and humankindness.